- Ensuring affordable access to high speed broadband sufficient to support digital learning in schools and robust connectivity for all libraries
- Maximize the cost effectiveness of spending for E-Rate supported purchases
- Making the E-Rate application process and other E-Rate processes fast, simple and efficient
The FCC released a Report and Order modernizing the E-Rate Program, back in 2019, and it has some new rules that may impact your school or library. You can read the whole Report and Order here, or you can see our summary below. Please let us know if you have any questions.
- Funding Year 2021: All applicant budgets will reset
- There will be FIXED Five-year budget cycles (2021-2025, 2026-2030, etc.)
- Budgets will be reset for everyone at the beginning of each five-year cycle.
- Unspent funds from one funding cycle WILL NOT roll over to a new cycle.
- Only full-time students will be counted (not part-time students).
- There will be no more estimations of enrollment for new building construction, unless you are a new school that has not yet opened.
- There will be FIXED Five-year budget cycles (2021-2025, 2026-2030, etc.)
- Schools
- The per-student budget amount will be $167 per student starting in Funding Year 2021/2022.
- The budget will NOT be increased every year with inflation. It will only change every 5 years (at the start of the new budget cycles).
- The budgets will be determined by student count at the beginning of each five-year cycle. You can update your student counts or library square footage if it increases during the five-year cycle.
- The per-student budget amount will be $167 per student starting in Funding Year 2021/2022.
- Libraries
- A single pre-discount multiplier of $4.50 per square foot will be used for all libraries regardless of geography.
- Managed Internal Broadband Services, caching, and Basic Maintenance of Internal Connections will be permanently eligible.
- The minimum Category 2 budget for each school and library will be increased from $9,200 to $25,000 starting in 2021/2022.
- District-wide/library system wide budgets will be adopted
- There will be no more per school budgets for districts.
- The budgets will be calculated by aggregate total students or, if your district has 10 locations or less, you may choose to calculate your budget by calculating each site’s individual budget and then adding them together.
- Filtering technology to ensure compliance with CIPA will remain ineligible for Category 2 funding.
- Equipment transfer rules, within districts, will be eliminated but applicants must still track any transfers.
- NIFs still do not get a Category 2 budget and they must be cost allocated out of FRN’s.
If you find the E-Rate program too time consuming, too confusing or too complicated, that’s where we can help. Please do not hesitate to reach out and one of our consultants will be in touch with you within 24 hours.